Nigel Owens: The Final Whistle

Nigel Owens is an internationally respected Welsh rugby union referee. He is the current world record holder for most Test matches refereed and recently retired from being one of three professional referees at the Welsh Rugby Union. He is one of only two Welsh referees ever to officiate at a Rugby World Cup Final. He has also presented shows on S4C, and in 2011 was appointed to Wales' Gorsedd of Bards. In 2007 he came out as gay, and is also an icon in the LGBTQ community. The first volume of his autobiography, 'Half Time' (Y Lolfa, 2009) is a huge bestseller.Paul Abbandonato is an award-winning journalist and author. He is Head of Sport at WalesOnline & mainstream Welsh papers, and was 2018 UK Regional Sports Journalist of the Year. He is the author of 'Barry John: The George Best of Rugby' (Mainstream Publishing, 2000) and 'Gary Speed Remembered' (Andre Deutsch Ltd, 2012).

• Foreword by Dan CarterAcknowledgementsPrologue1 Breaking down barriers2 Dark days, seeing the light3 This is not soccer and the odd Twitter spat4 How it all began (or very nearly didn’t)5 Death threats … and great games6 Towards the top of the world7 … Reaching the summit8 Steak lunch with the Queen9 2019 World Cup10 100 and out, but not quite the farewell planned11 Barrie and me, farming and the futureNigel’s 100-Test career

The story of the second half of Nigel's career as one of the most famous referees in World Rugby, and one of only two Welsh refs ever to officiate at a Rugby World Cup Final. With his contract with the Welsh Rugby Union having come to an end in 2020, he is free to reveal all about his career since his previous autobiography, Half Time, to speak his mind on various issues and to give the full story of his last Rugby World Cup in 2019. -- Publisher: Y Lolfa